Kiyoken, which is headquartered in Yokohama, is sold outside the station, such as opening stores along the main road one after another because the number of railway users has decreased due to the influence of the new coronavirus and the sales of ekiben have dropped significantly. We are embarking on strengthening.
Founded in 1891 and famous for "Shiumai Bento", "Kiyoken" in Yokohama sold an average of 42,000 ekiben a day before the spread of the new coronavirus infection.
However, due to the self-restraint of going out and moving due to the spread of infection, the number of people who buy ekiben when traveling or on business trips has decreased sharply, and in April and May of last year when the previous state of emergency was declared, the previous one. It means that the company's sales have decreased by about 70% compared to the same period of the year.
For this reason, we are expanding sales channels outside of stations, and since September last year, we have opened four stores one after another, using vacant stores along the main roads in Tokyo and Kanagawa Prefecture.
In addition, in order to meet the demand for nesting, we have started a service that delivers home delivery free of charge if you purchase 3000 yen or more in some areas such as Yokohama city, which was previously accepted only for large orders.
In addition, a new frozen ekiben has been developed and sold via the Internet.
Hiroaki Nishimura, Chief of the Public Relations and Marketing Department of Kiyoken, said, "Although the situation is still difficult, sales have gradually recovered as a result of expanding sales channels. We would like to take a pinch as an opportunity and further strengthen sales."
At department stores, there are also events to support the ekiben industry
The Keio Department Store in Shinjuku, Tokyo, held an event to collect ekiben from all over Japan for 14 days until the 20th of this month in an attempt to boost the ekiben industry, which has been hit hard by the new coronavirus.
Keio Department Store has been holding this event every year since 1966, but this time it was the 56th time, and the event was threatened by the influence of the new coronavirus.
However, because he wanted to support the ekiben industry, where sales are declining, he decided to take measures against infection and hold the event.
In order to prevent infection, the venue was distributed on three floors to avoid crowding, and we also accepted advance reservations for ekiben and set up a corner where you can buy without lining up at the venue.
A woman in her 80s who visited the venue said, "I can buy ekiben without going to the site, so I used to want to eat ekiben at the place I went."
Hideki Horie, General Manager of the Food and Restaurant Department of Keio Department Store, said, "I was witnessing the difficult situation in the ekiben industry, so let's do our best!
We held this tournament under the theme of "ekiben". We have been searching for what kind of measures we should take, but I am glad that we were able to hold it safely. "
Voices close to screams from ekiben companies nationwide
The vendors who participated in the ekiben event held at Keio Department Store heard almost screaming voices about the current situation where ekiben is not selling due to the influence of the new coronavirus.
Of these, President Yasuhiro Suzuki, a contractor in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture, said, "I was affected by the tsunami caused by the Great East Japan Earthquake, but after I managed to restart the company, I started the ekiben business to energize the local community. However, the new corona virus Due to the influence, the ekiben did not sell at all, and there were days when all the lunches I made came back, so it is a really difficult situation. "
In addition, Kosuke Matsuyama, president of Izumi City, Kagoshima Prefecture, said, "In June of last year, sales decreased by 95% compared to the same period of the previous year, a situation that I had never experienced before, and the company disappeared. I was prepared to do it. "
Ekiben expert "First time in such a long-term predicament"
Mr. Tadashi Numamoto, a former secretary general of the "Japan Railway Campus Sales Central Association", an ekiben company, said, "There are about 90 ekiben companies nationwide, but 9 of them belong to the group. Nearly a percentage are small and medium-sized enterprises. The effects of the new corona virus have been going on for nearly a year, and it is the first experience in the industry to face such a long-term difficult situation. "
On top of that, "Ekiben has a history of 135 years since its birth last year, but I think there is a risk that this history will disappear. We will open new sales channels such as going out of the station from inside the station. I want you to increase and survive this predicament. "